Just read an article in the June 2017 Leatherneck Magazine titled, A Veteran’s Return by P.L. Thompson, USMC (Ret).

The article is about Marine Pfc. Omer Hadsall, who was with First Platoon, Echo Company, 2/9 in Vietnam in 1966, and his recent return to that country with his eldest son, Major Troy Hadsall, USMC (Ret). Omer spoke highly of his platoon sergeant named Garcia, “… he really took care of me and the other new Marines. He was a good sergeant, a good teacher and I was really beginning to feel that I was part of our platoon.” Omer was with 2/9 for three months when, on April 24, 1966, he was severely wounded when he stepped on a land mine. He was eventually promoted to L/Cpl. and medically discharged from the Marine Corps in January 1967.

His son, Major Hadsall, enlisted in the Corps in 1988, and completed OCS in 1999. He served multiple tours in Iraq and Afghanistan and was medically retired after 24 years of service. Major Hadsall helped his father research military records to locate the exact area where Omer stepped on the mine. They concluded that the area was South of Da Nang near the Ha Dong Bridge where 2/9 had been operating. After 51 years it was difficult to determine the exact location, but they suspected they were as close as they could be to where Omer was wounded, “…probably within a few hundred yards…maybe a little further…but close enough,” said Omer in Thompson’s article.

After reading the article, it’s easy to see that the Hadsall’s have a rich family history of serving in the Corps. Thompson writes that in addition to Omer’s eldest son, Omer’s oldest brother, Gunnery Sergeant Lawrence Hadsall, USMC (Ret), was stationed in Chu Lai when Omer was wounded in 1966. Another brother Gary Hadsall served in the Marines from 1959 to 1963. Gary’s son Loren Hadsall served in the Corps from 1984 to 1988, and another nephew, Russell, served from 1990 to 1996. Omer’s younger son, Captain Christopher Hadsall also served in the Corps. After serving only one week in Iraq, Christopher was wounded on March 7, 2005. Like his dad, and older brother Troy, Christopher was medically retired from the Marines. And today, Omer’s great-nephew 1st Lt. Phillip Wears, a graduate from the Naval Academy in 2014, and, at the time of this article, would soon finish flight school training and head to MCAS New River, NC to become an MV-22 Osprey pilot.

If you have access to the magazine check it out. Omer and his son Troy are listed on Echo 2/9’s member list.

God Bless the Hadsall Family – Thank you for your service.Semper Fi.Doug

Wow, their trip originated, I believe, back in May of 2016 when Troy Hadsall and I traded several emails. I gave them Warren Weidhahn's contact info. Warren is a 2/9er and runs Military Historical Tours. Thanks for posting this Doug.I have to go back to that issue of Leatherneck to read the article. I don't know how the hell I missed it since I usually read them cover to cover!